This Year's Girl
by Americangirl
Summary: PLEASE READ!!IT'S IMPORTANT!!!!Craig and Ashley are trying to figure out their relationship after the Season Finale, while Jimmy and Manny have hatched a plan to break them up. Who will end up together?COMPLETE! PLEASE R/R!
1. Default Chapter

Author's Note: I live in the U.S. and have not seen all of the season 2 episodes yet. This story is based on summaries I have read about the remaining episodes and also a lot is from my own imagination. It's pretty much AU after the dance in Season 2. Remember I haven't seen these episodes so it may be off a little but it's just my own creative story. This story takes place on the first day of school in Season 3.  
  
Background info and spoilers: (as far as I know it from what I've seen and read): Ashley and Craig were named king and Queen of the dance in the season finale. Craig's dad died in the season finale. When he became upset at the dance, Terri was able to console him because she has also lost a parent. I don't know if Jimmy was dating Hazel in the season Finale but they did go to the dance together. However, in this story I never address it. Sean and Emma are together.  
  
My favorite characters are: Manny, Ashley, Craig and Terri so this story is really about them plus Jimmy. My fav. Couplings change all of the time so don't be surprised if I write lots of stories with different pairings. This is my first Degrassi fan fic so please be kind and review. Thanks!  
  
Summary: It's the first day of school in Season 3. Craig and Ashley are trying to figure out their relationship after the Season Finale, while Jimmy and Manny have hatched a plan to break them up.. Who will end up together this year?  
  
This Year's Girl  
  
Manny's mind was racing. She had woken up at 6:00 am that morning and had laid in bed thinking. Could their plan really work? A part of her believed that it could. How had she ever gotten teamed up with Jimmy? Her thoughts floated back to the beginning of summer. She had been embarrassed when she first saw Jimmy at the Seacrest Swim Club. Her mother had insisted she take swimming lessons this year, and had signed her up for a beginners class. There she was surrounded by grade schoolers, in an ugly yellow stripped one-piece suit that her mother had picked out. It was bad enough that she had to talk to fourth graders all lesson long, but when she stopped at the snack booth for a soda, she saw one of Degrassi's most popular students behind the register: Jimmy. She had tried to turn away without him noticing her but it was too late. "Hey, Manny. What are you doing here?" He asked. She was shocked that he had remembered her name. She assumed that he associated her with his friend Craig's immature first date. She was mortified.  
  
"I'm taking swim lessons. In the advanced class." She lied.  
  
"That's cool." He smiled wide. Manny had to admit that he was cute. But, of course, he was no Craig.  
  
She bought a soda and returned to the pool with her mind stuck on Criag. Why couldn't she just forget him? She had been at the dance. She saw Ashley and him get named King and Queen. Her battleship was sunk. Craig was as good as in love with the wiser, older, more mature Ashley. She couldn't compare.  
  
"Hey, you forgot your change!", Jimmy had appeared at her side  
  
"Oh, sorry", Manny blushed a bright red.  
  
"That's ok.." The two stood staring at each other, unable to say what they really wanted to say. Finally, Jimmy broke the silence.  
  
"So, that dance last week sucked.." He trailed off.  
  
Manny nodded.  
  
"Craig and Ashley.." Jimmy whispered under his breath.  
  
"Does it bother you?"  
  
"Does it bother you?" he shot back.  
  
Manny slowly nodded.  
  
"I don't know why but it kinda does."  
  
Jimmy nodded along with her words. "I know what you mean. I keep telling myself not to care but I can't help it. I hate Craig right now."  
  
"I don't hate Ashley. I just hate myself for not being more like her."  
  
"I think you're pretty cool yourself" Jimmy smiled as he said the words.  
  
Manny could feel herself blushing again.  
  
"Well, I better get back to work before I get fired." He smiled again and walked away.  
  
Manny was in a daze. Jimmy had paid her a compliment but as nice as it was, she still couldn't help wishing it had been Craig who had spoken those words.  
  
The summer continued on, and twice a week Manny would venture out to the Seacrest Swim Club in a new pink two-piece suit. . Each time she would make sure to purchase a soda from the snack bar, and each time , Jimmy would appear by her side moments later to discuss Craig and Ashley. Finally, it was August and the new school year was only a week away. That's when it happened.  
  
"I really am not looking forward to school!" Jimmy complained.  
  
"I know. Tests, projects, homework!", Manny exclaimed  
  
"Don't forget Ashley and Craig. I'm sure they'll be walking around holding hands and making out in the halls. The worst part is I've lost both Ashley and Craig How can I talk to them when they're together and I'm alone?" He couldn't believe he was spilling his guts to Manny but he had no choice. He could never tell one of the guys, and besides, she was as obsessed with Craig as he was with Ashley.  
  
"I wish I could show up with some cool new guy. Some one way cooler than Craig." Manny was amazed at how easy it was to talk to Jimmy. For over two months they had taken turns revealing their jealousy to each other. It was hard to believe that in one week , their friendship would probably be over. She doubted that Jimmy would come running up to her in the halls to discuss Ashley and Craig in front of the entire student body. Suddenly, she felt sad. Emma had Sean, Ashley had Craig, and in a week she would even lose Jimmy as a friend.  
  
"Maybe you can. Well, not a new guy. But definitely some one cooler than Craig."  
  
"Who?" Manny was confused. Was Jimmy suggesting what she thought he was?  
  
"Me!," He smiled widely, "if we're driving ourselves crazy over Ashley and Craig, maybe they would go nuts over me and you dating. I was Ashley's boyfriend for a long time, and I know for a fact that Craig liked you."  
  
"Yeah, but I'm too immature for him, remember? He won't care if I have a new boyfriend.." Manny shook her head in disagreement.  
  
"I can fix that. This is a new year. You can come back as a new, completely mature Manny. I'll help you. I can make you just as sophisticated as Ashley."  
  
Manny thought it over. She would be going back to Degrassi Community School with Jimmy as her boyfriend. Sure, it was all a show but still.she would have a boyfriend!! Plus, Jimmy was going to help her become the type of girl that Craig wanted. She felt giddy. Maybe, by the end of September she could be dating Craig!! The offer was to good to pass up.  
  
"Ok. Let's do it!"  
  
"Cool. Then let's meet up tomorrow and I can give you a few pointers on being a wiser Manny. Plus, we need to get our stories straight about how we started dating and everything. Meet me at 6? I'm done work then."  
  
Manny agreed and headed out of the swim club for home. She had one week to familiarize herself with Jimmy. A good girlfriend would know a ton of things about him. She had to make sure that everyone at Degrassi believed in their lie if she hoped to win over Craig. Even Emma, she reasoned would have to believe her new love life was the truth. The lies were piling up, but the payoff was worth it.  
  
Manny's alarm sounded beside her, throwing her from her memories. Today was the first day of school. The first day that everyone would see her and Jimmy together. She dressed quickly, and applied her make up the way that Emma had shown her on the night of her one and only date with Craig. She had to look good if she was going to tear him away from Ashley. Ashley belongs with Jimmy, and I belong with Craig, she reasoned to herself as she stared at her reflection in the mirror. She felt bad about the plan, and the lies, but what could she do? Craig was her first love, and Ashley was Jimmy's. It was only right for the right couples to be together. She breathed deeply.  
  
"I hope this works." She Mumbled to herself and headed out to meet Jimmy before the morning bell.  
  
Chapter 2: Craig's summer.. 


	2. Chapter 2

a/n: I changed my mind about this story and took out the Terri parts. It's going to be an all Jimmy-Manny-Craig-Ashley story. I realized I have too much to say to add the Terri stuff in. Thank you to my reviewer. I only have one right now but hopefully I'll get more and if not-well, then thank you to my one reviewer! You rock.  
  
Chapter 2 Craig was happy, and that was hard to believe. He had had a lot of ups and downs in his life, with last year having a lot of downs. His father had died. It was hard enough to accept his father's abuse but now he had to accept his abusive father's death. It was overwhelming. But he had Joey, and Ashley. Ashley. The thought made him smile. They had managed to work something out between them. They weren't dating, and weren't friends, they were something in between, and that was good enough for him. He had wanted to be with her for a long time. She understood him better than anyone else at Degrassi. And then, at the worst possible moment, when his father had died and they had been named King and Queen of some lame dance, it happened. They were together. Not as Ashley and Craig, but as AshleyCraig. Some kind of hybrid of themselves, where they existed outside of friendship land and somewhere close to Couples Ville. He was sure that with the new school year, they could officially become an item. He was happy.  
  
"Bummed about staring school again?" Joey asked as Craig bounced down the stairs.  
  
"Not exactly." "Oh, I get it. The world seems better with a hot girl on your arm, huh?"  
  
Craig smiled. Somehow, he had hit the nail on the head. Craig was too excited to eat. He had to get to school. He wondered if Ashley would be there already, waiting for him. He wondered if they would hold hands in the hall or finally become official. He was dying to know. As he approached school he saw Ashley talking on the steps with Ellie. She looked beautiful in an all black outfit. He never thought he would fall for a gothic girl. But there was just something about her. Suddenly, he felt nervous about approaching her. He felt giddy and stupid. What was coming over him? He never felt this way around Ashley. Maybe it was just nerves. Maybe it was just that he was realizing how much he liked her.  
  
"Hey Ash. Hey Ellie."  
  
"Hey there Craig. I think I'm going to bounce and find Marco, ok?" Ellie smiled and walked off.  
  
Craig racked his mind for something to say. Everything he thought of seemed immature and dumb. He was reminded of his first date last year. He had liked Manny, not in the same way as Ashley, but still, he had liked her. But she seemed so young and childish back then. But now he had to wonder if it had just been her nerves. Had she just liked him as much as he now liked Ashley? He felt guilty about his comments in the hall that day. She had been so proud of his locker that she had decorated.  
  
"Don't you like the locker? " She had asked when she saw his down crest face.  
  
"It's not the locker I don't like." He had responded. It had been mean and cruel. He now wished he could have changed things. Only now did he understand Manny, but now it was too late. He was glad that he ended up with Ashley and he didn't want to change that. He would just have to make it up to Manny by being her friend this year. Maybe he could even find her a date.  
  
"What are you thinking about?" Ashley asked, looking at him strangely.  
  
"Oh. Nothing. So, are you ready for another boring day at Degrassi?"  
  
"You haven't heard, have you?" Paige approached smirking.  
  
"Heard what?" Craig and Ashley asked in unison , as Paige pointed out in the distance.  
  
Craig looked out and saw two figures approaching, holding hands. He couldn't make out there faces, but they were quickly heading towards the steps.  
  
"Oh MY GOD!" Ashley gasped, " Jimmy and Manny!"  
  
Jimmy ? Craig thought. He hadn't spoken to him since the dance last year. After Craig made his feelings for Ashley known, Jimmy didn't want anything to do with him. It had made him sad to lose a good friend, but he had reasoned that it was worth it if he ended up with Ashley . Craig watched as the happy couple approached them.  
  
"Hey guys," Jimmy said calmly.  
  
"Hi!", Manny exclaimed happily.  
  
Ashley mumbled out a hello, still in shock at the sight of Manny and Jimmy holding hands.  
  
"I just wanted to say that I hope there is no hard feelings. Hopefully this year we can all be friends." Jimmy stuck out his hand and shook Craig's. He was happy that his lie was being pulled off so wonderfully. From the look on Ashley's face, she was buying it all.  
  
"Sure. Of course," Craig responded as he watched the new pair retreat inside the school.  
  
"What are they doing together?"  
  
"I don't know. Why? Does it matter?", Craig asked. He was getting worried. Ashley seemed to be completely affected by the news of Jimmy and Manny. He had to wonder if she still, deep down, had feelings for him. The truth was that over the summer, on occasion, he had wondered about it. Jimmy and her had been a couple for along time, and Ashley may not have fully gotten over him. He was afraid to ask her if she had.  
  
"No way! It's just strange is all. I mean, Jimmy and MANNY?" Ashley shook her head n disbelief.  
  
"Yeah, why would Manny and JIMMY date?" They looked at each other.  
  
"Are you saying that Manny is too good for Jimmy?" Ashley angrily asked Craig had to wonder where her anger was coming from. He wasn't saying that. He was just saying that Jimmy didn't seem to be Manny's type. Couldn't Ashley understand that?  
  
"Because I think Manny is lucky to have him." Ashley continued on.  
  
"Yeah, well Manny is a great girl. Jimmy is pretty lucky to have her too." Craig wondered where his defense of Manny was coming from? He didn't care if she was dating Jimmy, did he?  
  
Suddenly Ashley laughed. "This is silly. If they want to date-- good for them.", She smiled at him and suddenly Craig forgot all about Manny.  
  
"You're right. Besides, I'm the lucky one at Degrassi." Craig blushed as he said the words, afraid that Ashley would think they were cheesy. But instead, she smiled at him, and put her hand in his.  
  
"Come on. Let's get to class." She said as they walked hand-in-hand through the halls of Degrassi. Once again, Craig was happy.  
  
Chapter 3: More plans from Jimmy and Manny... Please be kind and review! Thanks! 


	3. Chapter 3

Author's note: Thank you to all of my reviewers!!! I will try to keep updating quickly and I will keep all of your couple requests in mind. Hopefully, you will like the rest of the story. Please be kind and Review!!  
  
Chapter 3  
  
Ashley was more than a little confused. It had been a week since the first day of school and Jimmy and Manny were still walking around like long lost lovers. She had been sure when she first spotted them on the school steps with Craig, that their relationship was just some sort of joke. It certainly couldn't last a day, but now here she was walking into class the next Monday as Jimmy and Manny floated by, hand-in-hand. It made her want to puke.  
  
"Why do you care if your ex wants to date someone else?," Ellie asked her as she slid into a seat next to her in computer class.  
  
"It's not that care!, Ashley protested "It's just seems wrong to me. I've known Jimmy for a long time and Manny is not his type!"  
  
Ellie gave her a knowing look.  
"Ok. Fine. Whatever you say."  
  
But Ashley wasn't completely sure why she cared. She had Craig. And Craig was wonderful. He was smart, sweet, fun, and a total hottie. So what was her problem? She had gotten over Jimmy along time ago and had moved on with her life, hadn't she?  
  
"Hey, there Ashley."  
  
Ashley looked up from her computer screen to see Paige smiling down at her.  
  
"What do you want Paige?"  
  
"I just thought you might want to know that I'm throwing a huge bash on Friday at my house." Paige replied.  
  
"So what?"  
  
"Well, you and your little boyfriend are invited is all."  
  
Ashley was shocked. It had been a long time since Paige had invited her anywhere.  
  
"Why in the world would I be invited?" Ashley suspiciously questioned.  
  
"Well, I just can't resist being in the center of drama and with Jimmy and Manny there, plus you and Craig, there's sure to be a ton of it!" Paige laughed and walked back over to her computer across the room.  
  
"You aren't going to go, are you?" Ellie leaned over and whispered to Ashley.  
  
Ashley shrugged. She didn't know what to do. On the one hand, she wanted to show Paige up. She was perfectly capable of going to a party where Jimmy was with out causing a scene. On the other hand, she wondered what it would be like to be at a party with Jimmy and his new girlfriend. Would they be dancing together? Or Kissing?  
  
The bell rang and Ashley practically flew out of the classroom. She had to get away from Paige before she cornered her about the party.  
  
"Hey. Wait up!" Craig's voice called down the hall after her.  
  
Ashley turned around and tried to smile.  
  
"Hey."  
  
Craig ran up to her, grabbing her hand in his.  
  
"What's up?" He asked as they made their way towards the cafeteria.  
  
"Oh, nothing. Paige is just annoying me is all."  
  
Ashley looked over at Craig. He really was a sweetheart and she truly did care for him. Why was she so jealous of Manny then? Maybe it was all just in her head. Suddenly she got an idea.  
  
"She invited us to a huge party at her house on Friday." She continued " And I think we should go."  
  
"Ok. Cool" Craig nodded in agreement.  
  
"Jimmy and Manny will be there too."  
  
Suddenly Craig stopped in his tracks.  
  
"Geez, Ashley- why would you want to go then? It's just going to cause a problem." Craig couldn't understand it. He had spent the entire first week trying to avoid the sight of Jimmy and Manny making out in the halls. Now Ashley wanted to drag him to a party where they would be all over each other?  
  
"Why is it going to cause a problem? It would only cause a problem if one of us weren't over Jimmy or Manny" Ashley had to convince Craig to go to the party. It was the only way to know her true feelings for Jimmy. If all of this jealousy stuff was in her head, then she should be able to go to Paige's party with Craig and be happy no matter what. She could watch Manny and Jimmy be together all night and not care because she had Craig. It was the only way.  
  
"Hey, I'm over Manny! I was never really into Manny." Craig suddenly felt defensive. He hadn't really ever been too interested in Manny. Sure, she was cute, and sweet but way too immature, wasn't she? It was funny, but not until he had seen her Jimmy, laughing and smiling away that he missed her sense of immaturity. Sometimes, it was fun to just kick back and goof off. Ashley and him were always seriously discussing issues. That was important, he knew, but so was being young. Maybe Manny had more good qualities then he had recognized.  
  
Suddenly, the cafeteria doors swung open and Jimmy and Manny walked into the hallway.  
  
"Hey guys!" Jimmy had been polite to Craig and Ashley all week.  
  
"Hey Jimmy" Ashley responded as Craig mumbled out a hello, still lost in thought.  
  
"You guys are coming to Paige's party on Friday, aren't you?" Manny asked  
  
Ashley turned to Craig.  
  
"Umm..I don't know."  
  
"Of course!" Craig cut in. If Ashley thought it was a good idea, then he did too. He had nothing to hide. If Ashley could see Jimmy kiss Manny all night, then he could certainly stand the sight of Manny making out with Jimmy. Beside, Ashley was the girl of his dreams.  
  
"Great! Manny has to volunteer at the hospital for a few hours and then we're heading over. Probably around nine."  
  
The hospital? Craig was stunned. Maybe Manny was more mature then he thought.  
  
"Cool. See you then." Manny smiled wide and grabbed Jimmy's hand as they continued down the hall, laughing and talking. Ashley watched them retreat through the school, and was shocked when Jimmy bent down and kissed Manny's lips quickly. She felt her heart break into a million pieces. She quickly glanced at Craig, and noticed his face twisted in disgust as he witnessed the kiss too.  
  
I just hope this party is a good idea. Ashley thought to herself as she entered the cafeteria with Craig, One way or the other, she knew she would find out her true feelings on Friday.  
  
Chapter 4: Either Manny or Jimmy's point of view leading up to the jammy jam. I think it may be Jimmy's, then Manny's for the party, and Craig's for the day after.Maybe... 


	4. Chapter 4

Author's Note: Thank you to all of my reviewers. I apologize for having Paige and Ashley still disliking each other. Not all of the season 2 episodes have aired where I live so I didn't see the Rock Competition one where they make up. But since my story is pretty much AU anyway-I'm just going to pretend that they still hate each other. I hope that's okay! I hope you enjoy this next chapter! Please review !  
  
This Year's Girl Chapter 4  
  
Jimmy was feeling awful. He loved Ashley. He didn't want to trick her. But what choice did he have? He knew, deep down in the pit of his stomach that they were right for each other. He knew that Craig and her wouldn't last. How could it? They were more like good friends then a passionate couple. Was it so wrong to hurry their break up along with a few white lies?  
Suddenly the phone on his desk rang.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Hey, Jimmy. It's me."  
  
Manny had been calling him frequently since their little plot had begun. That way they could discuss their plans for the next day. It was weird how friendly they had gotten. But when you were suppose to be dating someone, he supposed, you get to be good friends.  
  
"What's up?"  
  
"I've been feeling really bad lately." Manny confused.  
  
"Me too." Jimmy softly replied.  
  
He wasn't surprised that Manny was feeling guilty. She seemed like a sweet girl who would never lie to someone she cared about. But love makes you do strange things.  
  
"Should we just end it?"  
  
Jimmy had to take a moment to consider it. Maybe they were better off just calling it quits. Maybe they should just leave Craig and Ashley alone and let their relationship develop and eventually crash and burn on its own  
  
"Maybe..but we haven't really been doing anything wrong." Jimmy reasoned.  
  
"Except lying to everyone!" Manny exclaimed. The lies were eating her up. She couldn't tell Emma the truth, or anyone else for that matter. She was beginning to wish she never agreed to the idea at all. "You may be right about that but at least we're not really hurting Craig and Ashley. I mean, if they break up-it's not our fault. We aren't forcing them apart. We're just showing them who they really care about." Jimmy had to believe this; otherwise he wouldn't be able to sleep at night. While the lying was bad enough, he couldn't live with himself if he thought he was intentionally hurting Ash.  
  
Manny sighed deeply.  
"Ok. But we have to break up at Paige's party. If our plan doesn't show them that they still care about us by then , then it never will. It'll have been two weeks of fake dating by then."  
  
"Ok." Jimmy agreed. The truth was he was getting tired of the lies too. He was sick of having to tell everyone how much he cared about Manny, and how he was cool with Craig and Ashley dating. He was sick of holding Manny's hand and kissing her, while Craig got to make out with his true love. Manny was a great girl but she couldn't hold a candle to Ashley in Jimmy's mind. He knew Manny felt the same way about Craig.  
  
"I'll see you tomorrow then. Only three more days until we break up!" Manny laughed at the idea of knowing when someone was going to dump you and not caring about it. How different things had been when Craig had broke her heart in the hallway last year.  
  
"Bye." Jimmy hung up the phone and flopped down on his bed. He wondered if in three days Ashley would come to her senses and realize how much she still loved him She had to still love him, right?  
  
Jimmy suddenly fell asleep still thinking about Ashley and their lost love. Could they ever get it back?  
  
Jimmy hadn't meant to be late the next morning. He had forgotten to set his alarm when he abruptly fell asleep the night before. He quickly ran into the main entrance of school, praying that the last bell hadn't rung. As he hurriedly flew to his locker, he knocked a girl over with out looking.  
  
"Sorry!" he exclaimed, "I shouldn't have been running but I'm just late and.." His words trailed off as he noticed Ashley. She had been the girl he carelessly knocked over.  
  
"Hey, it's ok." She smiled at him and gathered up her books.  
  
"I guess I better go before I'm late." Jimmy said and began to walk down the hallway. He couldn't stand being so close to her without being able to kiss her or hold her hand. "Jimmy?"  
  
Jimmy spun around to see Ashley staring at him.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
Ashley smiled slightly and shook her head.  
  
"Oh, nothing. It was dumb. I'll see you at Paige's on Friday, ok?" She asked  
  
"Of course." Jimmy replied and continued walking to class. This time he was smiling. He couldn't help it. He could feel the energy between him and Ashley. He knew she could feel it too. And he knew that she had been about to say so. On Friday, she'll be ready; he reassured himself as he walked into math class and took his seat besides Spinner.  
  
"You're late." The teacher snapped.  
  
"Sorry." Jimmy replied still smiling from his encounter with Ash. Suddenly, Craig appeared at the front of the classroom.  
  
"I had a schedule change and the principal placed me in this class." He explained handing a note to the teacher. "Come on in. The more the merrier. You can take a seat behind Mr. Mason." The teacher directed him to his seat  
  
"Oh, great," mumbled Jimmy.  
  
"I thought you two were cool now?," asked Spinner.  
  
Jimmy just shrugged and watched Craig take a seat dangerously close to him. The whole lesson he could feel Craig's eyes on him. What is he thinking? Jimmy wondered. Does he hate me? And if so, is it because I'm dating Manny, or because he thinks I want Ashley back?  
  
"Hey Spinner! Are you going to Paige's party?" Craig whispered to the boy sitting in front of him.  
  
"Yeah, I think I may ask Terri but I don't know.." Suddenly Spinner started to blush slightly.  
  
"Terri and Spinner, sitting in a tree.." Jimmy teased.  
  
"Shut up. Are you taking your little girlfriend?" He shot back.  
  
Jimmy nodded, knowing that Craig was intensely listening.  
"Yeah, we're going together."  
  
"She's pretty hot, even if is she is young." Spinner commented.  
  
"She's not that young." Craig responded.  
  
Jimmy turned in his seat to face Craig.  
"Thanks for pointing that out."  
  
"I guess you'll be going with Ashley." Spinner said not noticing the icy stares Jimmy and Craig were giving each other.  
  
"Definitely."  
  
Jimmy cleared his throat.  
"You know, I think Manny and I may take things to a new level at this party. If you know what I mean." His eyes rested on Craig.  
  
Spinner laughed.  
"You mean, you and Manny are going to do it?"  
  
"No, he doesn't mean that!" Craig was annoyed with the entire conversation. There was no way in hell that Manny was going to sleep with Jimmy.  
  
"I didn't say that. I just mean that we'll probably get closer at this party. There are more things to do then just have sex." Jimmy said and spun back around. He would leave it to Craig to imagine what all of those other things were. He had to smile at how jealous Craig had been. Jimmy had spent most of the last week and a half thinking about how his plan would affect him and Ash. Only now did he consider how real the possibility was that Manny may get her Prince Charming.  
  
Good for her, he thought. She was a special girl and he hoped that Craig really did like her. Who knows? After all of this was over, maybe they could al be friends. The bell rung and Jimmy stood up to leave class.  
  
"I'll catch up with you at lunch," Spinner said and dashed out of the classroom  
  
Jimmy was about t follow when Craig stopped him.  
  
"Look, Manny's a nice girl and young and.." He trailed off, unsure of what to say.  
  
"I know that. Why are you telling me things I already know about my own girlfriend?" Jimmy asked confused.  
  
"I'm just trying to say that you shouldn't try anything funny at the party, ok? Because I'll be watching you and if you hurt Manny.."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Just don't hurt her." Craig finished and left the room.  
  
Jimmy was more certain than ever that by Friday night the right couples would finally be together.  
  
Chapter 5: Manny's P.O.V. at the party!!! 


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5  
  
A/n: I have no idea what Paige's bedroom looks like so I made it up. Oh, and this is a bit of a cliff hanger! Please review!!!  
  
Tonight was the night, she thought, as she peered at her reflection in the mirror. Her dark hair was shiny, and flowing around her face. Her makeup sparkled. Her clothes were simple yet perfect. So why wasn't she smiling?  
  
She knew the answer was Craig. Even if she got her way tonight and he confessed his undying devotion to her, Manny would not be happy. She did want Craig's heart from lies. She only wanted Craig to be her boyfriend if it was right. And when lies were involved, it wasn't right.  
  
Manny had grown up a lot since her first date with Craig Manning. The thought of it made her wince. She had acted so immature. It was no wonder he had dumped her. Of course, he could have been kinder about it, she thought. But none of that mattered anymore. She was in high school now, with a better head on her shoulders. She had started volunteering at the local hospital over the summer, and had even had a serious talk with her parents about her love life. Somehow, she was able to convince them that as long as they met the boy first, she would be allowed to date. The old, childish Manny would never have been able to plead her case so well to her Father. Now, she had to do one more mature thing, no matter how hard it seemed. She had to tell Craig the truth.  
  
Manny could hear her parents talking to Jimmy down stairs. They were the only people who knew the truth about their relationship. She could never bring herself to call Jimmy anything more then a friend around her parents. She refused to lie to them. One day, she hoped she would be able to introduce Craig to them as her fist boyfriend. If he doesn't hate me forever after all of my lies, she thought as she descended the stairs to greet Jimmy.  
  
Manny tried to quickly hurry Jimmy out of her house. She had to have enough time to talk to him about what she was planning to do. She had to convince him to tell Ashley the truth as well as Craig. She knew that if Jimmy refused to admit their lie to Ashley, then she would be left with a hard choice. She would either have to piss Jimmy off by telling Craig the truth anyway, or go against her own judgment and keep the lie going. She hoped she wouldn't have t make a choice.  
  
Jimmy and Manny made their way out of the Santos house. As they began to walk towards Paige's house, Manny took a deep breath.  
  
"I have to talk to you." Manny said quietly.  
  
"Yeah. Sure." Jimmy was lost in thought. He had been daydreaming about that night since the moment he had hatched his get-Ashley-back plan.  
  
"I think we need to tell Craig and Ashley the truth."  
  
"What?" Jimmy seemed shocked. They were so close to finally winning Craig and Ashley back.  
  
Manny sat down on a cement step in front of her. She would talk all night if she needed to. She wouldn't give up. She had to convince Jimmy that she was right.  
  
"Look, I know you really care about Ashley. And I really like Craig. That's why I think it's so important for us to be honest with them. How can we expect to have a good relationship with them if it's built on lies?"  
  
"I understand what you mean. But I think it's too late. If we tell them now, they'll probably never want to see our faces again. I don't want that to happen." Jimmy sat beside Manny on the steps. He was torn. All he wanted was to get back together with Ashley. He had never meant for all of the dishonesty to happen. He just hadn't been thinking straight.  
  
Manny nodded. She knew that Jimmy could be right. Once she told Craig the truth, he might never speak to her again. But then again, if she never told him the truth, and they managed to rekindle their romance, how could she live with herself? Every time she kissed Craig, she would know that it was tainted with her lies. She had to do the right thing, and just hope for the best.  
  
"All we can do is be honest. That way we can be happy with ourselves. And if Ashley and Craig really want to be with us, then maybe they'll forgive us, respect our honesty, and take us back. If not, then we only have ourselves to blame." Manny looked at Jimmy for his reply. She prayed that her words had convinced him.  
  
"I guess your right," he mumbled "We were so stupid to think this was a good idea!"  
"We were just lonely and upset."  
  
Jimmy stood up and held out his hand to help Manny up.  
  
"Let's go do this thing before I lose my nerve." He said.  
  
Manny tangled her hand in Jimmy's.  
  
"No matter what happens-we'll always be friends, right?"  
  
"Of course, How could I ever forget my one and only fake girlfriend?" Jimmy returned her smile.  
  
They walked the rest of the way in silence. Both Jimmy and Manny were in deep in thought. Manny couldn't believe that she had ever thought lying was the right way to win Craig's affection. She remembered how hurt she had been by his dating Ashley, and knew that if she had just given herself and Craig some time- maybe they would have found their way back to each other without any deceit. The same was true with Ashley and Jimmy. But they had been impatient. They had wanted to heal their broken hearts quickly and had made a giant mistake in doing so. Now all they could was admit everything and plead for forgiveness.  
  
"Ready?" Manny asked as they arrived at Paige's front door.  
  
Jimmy smiled hesitantly. "Not really, but I know it's what we have to do."  
  
Manny nodded in agreement.  
  
"Ready or not." She said as she reached up and rang Paige's doorbell.  
  
"Hey." They heard a boy call from behind them. Manny spun around to see Craig standing a few feet behind them. He was alone.  
  
"Where's Ash?" Jimmy asked worried.  
  
"I think she's probably here already. She was coming with Terri."  
  
Manny was confused. Why wouldn't Craig escort his own girlfriend to the party? Before she could ask any questions, Paige opened the door.  
  
"Come on in. Everyone is already here." She said, leading them into a crowded living room where the most popular students from Degrassi where dancing, talking, eating, and laughing.  
  
Manny looked around the room. Ashley was sitting with Terri on a near by couch. When Craig entered the room, she smiled and waved, but made no move to come over to him.  
"What's going on with Craig and Ashley?" Manny whispered to Jimmy.  
  
"I don't know, but they don't seem to be as close as they use to be." Jimmy observed.  
  
Manny saw Emma sitting beside Sean. I didn't even know she was coming, Manny thought. Their friendship had suffered in the past two weeks. Manny hated lying to her best friend, and as a result she had tried to avoid her altogether.  
  
"I think I better go talk to Emma."  
  
"I'm going to be a man and ask Ash to go for a walk. Hopefully, the next time you see me- I'll be Ash's boyfriend again."  
  
Manny watched as Jimmy approached Ashley. She was smiling as they talked and she seemed to nod in agreement to Jimmy's offer of a walk. The two made their way through the crowd and out Paige's front door.  
  
"Good luck Jimmy," Manny whispered under her breath and made her way towards Emma.  
  
"Manny! Oh my gosh! When did you get here?" Emma asked surprised.  
  
"I came with Jimmy a few minuets ago. What are you doing here?" It was sad that neither best friend knew of the other's weekend plans.  
  
"Well, when Paige asked Craig to the party he asked if Sean cold come too. She said yes and then Sean asked if I could come along. I guess she really wanted Craig here because she agreed to it all. But to tell you the truth, I'm not having a very good time." Emma explained.  
  
" I'm not surprised that Paige agreed to let you come. I think she is looking forward to a big showdown between Craig, Jimmy, Ashley and I. But it's not going to happen."  
  
"Why would it happen? You like Jimmy, and Ashley likes Craig, right?" Emma asked.  
  
Manny began to get nervous. If she was this worried about telling Emma the truth, how would she ever tell Craig? She decided to just bite the bullet and confess.  
  
"I'm super sorry Emma."  
  
"For what?"  
  
"I haven't been honest with you lately. I don't like Jimmy and we are not dating."  
  
Emma looked stunned. "What do you mean? You've been so busy with Jimmy lately that we've barely spoken to each other. Now you're telling me he's not your boyfriend? What's going on?" Emma had a thousand questions for her best friend.  
  
"We made it all up- Jimmy and I did. We were dumb. We thought that if we pretended to go out, it would make Craig and Ashley jealous. Then they would realize that they really liked us, and we could get back together with them. But it was the wrong thing to do. We see that now. And I want to fix it. I want to apologize to you and to promise to never ever lie to you again." Manny's face was filled with sorrow.  
  
"This is all so weird. I can't believe it.." Emma trailed off. Her mind was still trying to comprehend the news.  
  
"I know. I'm sorry. Can you ever forgive me?" Manny pleaded.  
  
Emma nodded.  
  
"Yes. I forgive you. We still need to talk about this though. You should have told me how hurt you were by Craig's new relationship before you did something so outrageous."  
  
"I know. It's just that you were so happy with Sean and I didn't want to bother you with my stupid love life- or lack of love life."  
  
Emma's face got stern.  
  
"Even if I'm Sean's girlfriend, I'm still your best friend, ok? Now, promise me that you'll never hide anything from me again."  
  
"I promise!" Manny exclaimed without hesitation.  
  
"Ok. Then we're good again." Emma said as she pulled Manny into a tight hug.  
  
"I'm so relieved. Now, I just hope Craig will be as forgiving."  
  
Manny's gaze rested on Craig who was standing in a corner staring at her.  
  
"You better go talk to him," Emma commanded, "and you better call me later!"  
  
Manny agreed and walked over to Craig. She could feel her body shaking with each step. You got yourself into this Manny, she thought, now it's time to get your self out of it.  
  
"Hey. I was hoping you'd come over and say hi." Craig seemed nervous too. He was sort-of half smiling and looking at his feet.  
  
"I was wondering if maybe we could go somewhere and talk?" Manny asked.  
  
Craig's smile brightened.  
  
"Of course! Let's try to find an empty room." He grabbed her hand loosely and guided her out of the crowded living room and up the stair case. He tried a doorknob and opened it to reveal a bedroom bathed in pink and purple colors.  
  
"This must be Paige's room." Manny said as she wondered around, picking up a picture of Paige and Hazel smiling in a picture frame.  
  
"Who else would have so many pictures of Paige?" Craig laughed pointing to a collage of snapshots featuring Paige in different poses.  
  
Manny laughed too and tried to relax. She sat down on the bed and looked over at Craig. He was so handsome, and funny. She could easily remember why she had tried to win back his heart. She just wished she had picked a better way to do it.  
  
"I really need to tell you something." Manny started but was interrupted as Craig took a seat beside her on the bed.  
  
"I'm so glad to hear that, because I have to tell you something too. Ashley and I broke up."  
  
"When? Why? I mean, was it because Jimmy and I are dating?"  
  
"We broke up today. And it's not because of you and Jimmy. Well, it is and it isn't. It's weird because I thought that Ashley was the perfect girl for me, you know? And then I got her, and things were never really right. I liked her and all. I thought she was cute, sweet, nice, and totally perfect in most ways. But the spark wasn't there. I could feel that she still wanted to be with Jimmy sometimes. I just never wanted to admit it. And deep down, I knew that I didn't want to be with her either. We were just really good friends trying to pretend that we were more. I thought that with time, our relationship would grow and we would be able to fall in love with each other, but I was wrong. We both agreed that we should break up, and just be friends. Our hearts belong to different people." Craig looked shyly over at Manny for her reply.  
  
"So my dating Jimmy had nothing to do with it?"  
  
"Your dating Jimmy reminded me of my true feelings. It showed me that I could be more than just friends with a girl I am dating. It showed me that I could be passionate about her. That she could drive me crazy with just one look. It reminded me of all the feelings that I thought I had for Ashley but never truly did. And most importantly it reminded me of what a jerk I was to you last year. I never gave you a chance. I never really got to know you. I just gave up on us, and moved on to Ashley because it was easier to do." Craig took a hold of Manny's hand.  
  
"I'm a lot different then I was then. I've finally grown up. The fluffy fluff collection no longer interests me." Manny said laughing at the memory.  
  
"I'd like to have the chance to learn what does interest you." Craig's eyes were piercing. She felt like he was peering into her soul. She knew she had to speak up now.  
  
"And because I have grown up, I have to do the mature thing tonight. I have to tell you the truth. I was never really dating Jimmy. We kind-of made it up. We were just upset and confused and really really dumb. We didn't want to go back to school alone and broken hearted. We decided that if we pretended to date each other, maybe you and Ashley would get jealous and realize who you had true feelings for. We just thought that if you saw us together, you'd finally see how wrong you were for each other." Manny had rushed through the explanation. She was afraid to stop speaking-afraid to hear Craig's reaction.  
  
Craig was sitting completely still. Finally, he spoke.  
  
" I can't believe you would lie to me."  
  
" I know. I was wrong, and I'm sorry. But you said that you didn't break up because of my relationship with Jimmy. You said you broke up with Ashley because it wasn't the right relationship for you. All I'm asking is that you try to understand how truly awful I feel, and maybe give us a chance at having a good relationship." Manny felt close to tears.  
  
"You're right. I would have eventually ended things with Ashley anyway. But I can't start a new relationship with a liar." Craig bitterly announced and stood up from the bed.  
  
"Please Craig! I told you the truth because I care about you and because I'm not a little girl anymore. I want to be with you. I want you to see the person underneath the childish facade you saw last year. I want you to finally give me a second chance!" Manny tried to grab Craig's hand, but he pulled it away.  
  
"If the new mature Manny is a liar, then I'd rather she be immature again." Craig took one last look at Manny and disappeared out Paige's bedroom door.  
  
Chapter 6: Craig's P.O.V. after the party. Will he forgive Manny? And what happened between Ash and Jimmy? Please review! I love reviews! 


	6. Chapter six

A/n: I am so sorry that it took so long to update this. I have been really busy, and have had a major case of writer's block. I hope you guys like this chapter, and please review b/c they make me so very happy. Oh, and Craig's kind of pissy in this chapter but he's just confused, sad, and annoyed at Jimmy and Ashley's happiness.  
  
P.S.: This is the last chapter! I hope you guys liked my story. I am working on a new one-so please be on the look out for it! Thanks so much to all of my reviewers! You guys are awesome.  
  
This Year's Girl Chapter 6  
  
Craig was doing his best to ignore Manny Santos and forget about the events of Friday night. He had decided-somewhere between Saturday night and Sunday morning-that his best course of action was to simply forget about the pretty ninth grader and move on. There had to be someone else out there for him- someone who wouldn't lie to him. Manny Santos played mind games, and Craig was in no mood to play along.  
But his plan was failing miserably. Every where he turned, Manny was there. She was talking to Emma, or eating lunch with J.T. He couldn't escape her, and to make matters worse-he kind-of liked seeing her. Despite his best efforts, he still thought she was gorgeous, and he just had to steal glimpses of her across the cafeteria, or in the hallways. He was going crazy.  
  
"So, what's up with you?" Ashley asked him, sliding beside him in the cafeteria on Thursday morning.  
  
"Nothing. Why? I'm great. Don't I look great?" Craig responded.  
  
"Actually-you look like shit." Jimmy bluntly interrupted, pulling a seat up on the other side of Craig.  
  
"Wonderful. Degrassi's favorite couple is here to save poor love struck Craig again, huh? Well, you can forget it." Craig started to rise from the table but Ashley gently grabbed his arm.  
  
"Please-just listen to us. This is the last time-I swear."  
  
Craig sighed heavily and slumped back into his cold, plastic chair. He had been listening to Jimmy and Ashley's advice all week. Somehow, after the truth finally came out, they had all become friends. Craig and Ashley were still close, and now that she was dating Jimmy again-they had been forced together into some kind of bizarre group.  
  
"I'm going to tell you about why Manny and I did what we did."  
  
"And then I'm going to tell you about why I forgave Jimmy, and why you should forgive Manny. And after you've really listened-we'll never bring it up again." Ashley explained.  
  
"Fine. Ok. Whatever." Craig was restless. He hated being forced to listen to their happy story. It only reminded him of how unhappy he felt.  
  
"You have to understand something-Manny and I were heartbroken, and you don't think straight when your heart is broke. We just wanted to stop hurting," Jimmy started, "We thought it wasn't really that bad of a thing to do because we weren't forcing you to break up. We were just hoping that once you saw Manny and I dating -that you and Ash would want to break up."  
  
"Yeah, you guys were totally blameless." Craig interrupted.  
  
"Look, I didn't say that. We realized we messed up, and that's why we told you guys the truth. We didn't have to, you know. You would have never figured it out." Jimmy retorted.  
  
"Hey," Ashley objected "I would have figured it out.eventually."  
  
Jimmy leaned across the table and wrapped Ashley's hand in his.  
  
"I love you babe, but you would have never guesses what we were up to."  
  
"Can we just hurry this little love fest along? I think I'm going to be sick." Craig broke in, already disgusted with himself for staying and listening to Jimmy's little speech.  
  
"Sorry. I think I should tell you about why I decided to take Jimmy back."  
  
"Great. I'm all ears." Craig sarcastically remarked.  
  
"Well, while you and Manny were still at Paige's, Jimmy and I went for a walk. At first I thought he had heard that we had broken up, and he was going to confuse his undying devotion to me. But then he started telling me about the plan. And I couldn't believe it. He had lied to me, and to the whole school. But then I thought about-I mean really thought about. How hurt must he have been to be willing to lie to everyone to try and get me back? I can't even imagine how heart broken you would have to be to do that. "  
  
"I think you should substitute heart broken for evil-but continue." Craig was getting good at making snide comments to the couple sitting around him. It was easier then actually listening to them.  
  
"Anyway, and then I thought about all of the mistakes I had made. I had hurt Jimmy by kissing Sean , yet he had been willing to forgive me and move on. Just like you had hurt Manny by being so blunt about your dislike of her last year. Yet she still liked you. And the most important part is that- in the end-they were honest. Do you have nay idea how many people would have just continued the lie and have been happy to have gotten what they wanted? But not Manny, she insisted that you know the truth. A girl like that-who loves you enough to tell you the truth -even though you might hate her-is worth giving a second chance to." Ashley finished and looked to Craig for a reply but he only shrugged-confused about what he should do.  
  
"Man, I am so thankful that Ash forgave me. When she hugged me and told me she loved me and forgave me-- I felt like the happiest man alive. I walked her home on Friday with the biggest grin on my face, and it hasn't left yet." Jimmy pointed at his wide smile.  
  
"And I haven't been happier in a long time. I realized how important Jimmy is to me, and I am never going to let him out of my life again."  
  
"And I am never ever going to lie to anyone again."  
  
Jimmy and Ashley stood up.  
  
"That's it?" Craig asked.  
  
Ashley nodded "That's it. That's our story. Now it's all up to you." The couple turned and retreated out of the cafeteria leaving Craig alone with his thoughts.  
  
  
  
Craig had been waiting for forty-five minutes outside of school with out any luck. He was finally ready to move past Friday night, Ash's words had somehow gotten to him, yet Manny was no where to be found.  
  
"Maybe it just wasn't meant to be," he mumbled, taking one last look at the school doors, before turning and starting to walk home. What I had I been thinking? He wondered. What did I want to happen? Did I think she would come running out, smiling, and everything would be ok?  
  
"Craig?" The voice was unmistakable.  
  
Craig spun around to see the girl occupying his thoughts looking at him.  
  
"Hey."  
  
"I thought that was you. I came out of school and called your name but you didn't hear me. I thought maybe you were ignoring me still"  
  
"I was..um.thinking."  
  
"Oh. What are you still doing here? I had to stay after for Spirit Squad sign ups." Manny explained  
  
"I forgot you did that." Craig said. Was he really standing here having a civilized conversation with Manny Santos after so many days of brushing her off? He had refused to even say hello to her all week, yet she never gave up trying.  
  
"Yep. Me, Paige, and Hazel." Manny fell into step beside Craig and they began making their way towards their houses.  
  
"That's cool. Sean always wants to me to try out for basketball but I'm not really a sports guy."  
  
"I know." Manny said smiling at him, "I'm not really a big cheerleader type but I like gymnastics and dancing"  
  
Craig smiled back at her.  
  
"Really? I didn't know that. So you can do back flips and all that?"  
  
"I can do all of that stuff."  
  
Craig couldn't believe how easy it was to talk to Manny. Hadn't it just been a year ago when they had struggled to make conversation beyond the fluffy fluff collection? So much had changed.  
  
"Look, I was thinking that maybe you would want to hang out tomorrow. We could get something to eat or whatever you want." The words had just popped out of Craig's mouth with out any thought.  
  
"Craig-are you sure? I mean, what about."  
  
"Let's forget about it," Craig interrupted "I want us to move on. But I don't want to rush in to this. I want to be your friend first. I want to get to know everything about you."  
  
Manny tried not to look disappointed. She wanted to be so much more then a friend with Craig, but it was a start.  
  
"Ok. I can do that." She answered.  
  
Craig smiled wide. He hadn't felt so happy in a long time. This just felt right. "Great, then we're on for tomorrow?" He asked.  
  
"Definitely"  
  
The End  
  
Ok-that's it! It's finished. But I am thinking of doing a short sequel. What do you think? I was thinking something like this: It's been almost 2 months of Manny and Craig being "just friends", and Sean and Emma are sick of Craig and Manny hiding their crush on each other. When Emma's mom and Mr. Simpson go out of town, she decides to throw a make out party. Too bad- only Craig and Manny are invited! Let me know if you would read that or not. It will be total S/E and M/C fluff. 


	7. Help

Help! I really need your guys help! As fellow members of ff.net who care about and respect one another's work-I need you to help stop a thief! I recently received a rewiew for my work stating that this piece was on the n.com-yet I never ever posted it there! I went to the N.com and found that someone else had copied my work word for word-including the title! This person could do it to any of you too. They don't care about my hard work and are getting reviews for it! Go to the-n.com /mb/ viewtopic.php?t=322335&start=0 and check it out (remember to add www. in front and delete the spaces so there are none) Please post a response telling her that you have seen my work on ff.net and that the story doesn't belong to her! I am going tot ry to contact the administration too. The date she posted it was after mine, and her story is incomplete while mine is finished. I feel robbed. I beg of you to let her know that she can't do this to me or anyone else! This Year's Girl is something I worked long and hard to write, and she simply cut and pasted it.  
  
Thank you, Americangirl 


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